Gamblers Anonymous

Leon's Story
Leon : 16th May 2004

It all started with Barabbas.

I remember clearly the day that I had my first bet. Not only the day but the horse as well. It was at a __________ mid-week meeting and the horse was a big black two-year-old colt called Barabbas. He duly won by six lengths pulling up. I was the ripe old age of thirteen and the twenty-dollar win was the start of a gambling career that was to lead to the loss of a profession and to a lengthy term in prison.
My family was heavily involved in the racing industry throughout my teenage years. My grandfather, father, and uncle all raced horses and horse racing and gambling was a large part of all our lives. I thoroughly enjoyed those days and lived for racedays, especially when a family horse was to race. As a school student I didn’t do much damage money wise, as I simply did not have that much to lose. Nevertheless it set the scene for what was to follow. I received a good education at school and then went on to University and completed a law degree. I was soon a partner in a legal firm and earning a substantial income. By this time my love of horse racing as a sport was matched by my love of gambling. I spent a considerable amount of time and energy on studying form and attending race meetings. I was only able to maintain my business by working long hours to catch up all the hours I wasted during the day on gambling.

In my late twenties I married and bought a home and vowed to myself that I would cut back on my gambling so that I could live a happy married life. Unfortunately, the vow came to very little. My life became one of complete dishonesty. I deceived my wife as to my (our) finances and started taking out secret loans to cover my gambling losses.
By 1987 I was in deep financial strife. I had just about exhausted all avenues of finance and was on the verge of having to confess all to my wife. And then the impossible happened – I punted my way out of trouble, going from deeply in the red to strongly in the black. I paid all my debts, bought a new car and generally convinced everyone that my business was going from strength to strength. Again I made a secret vow to cut back on my gambling and keep it under control. However, my gambling, rather than moderating, accelerated at an alarming rate. The losses mounted rapidly and I gambled even more. I ‘reasoned” that I had gambled my way out of trouble before and I could do it again. It was at this stage that my gambling took on an even more irrational aspect. Previously, I had studied the form, the odds, the track condition, etc. etc. and at least made some attempt to reduce the risk and have a chance of winning. Now it became an overwhelming need to bet – on any race, anywhere – without even truly considering the prospects of success. I recall one particular occasion wagering a large sum at the TAB on a race at some country venue on a favourite that I knew nothing about at odds of twenty to one ON (it duly lost) – total insanity!

In 1990 I came across every gambler’s dream – a friendly bank manager. I was allowed to run up my overdraft to alarming levels without question. However, as often happens the friendly bank manager was replaced by a decidedly unfriendly manager who made it very clear to me that the proverbial was going to hit the fan if I did not bring the overdraft into terms. I had to come up with a significant amount of cash (which I didn’t have) to reduce my debt. In desperation I made an unauthorised “borrowing” from a client’s funds. I did so with every intention of paying it back, but the only way that that could be achieved (so I thought) was to gamble and win it. It doesn’t take an Einstein to guess what happened next! More “borrowing” followed and over the next few years the “borrowings” had snowballed into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Throughout this period I lived two distinct lives. On the one hand I was a good husband, father, and trusted solicitor and on the other a mad punter who was secretly stealing his client’s money. The stress associated with living this dual life was enormous.

By early 1997 I could take it no longer. I took steps to advise the Law Society of the deficiencies in my trust account and confessed all to my wife, children, family and friends. I was at a low point in my life from which I did not think that I would ever be able to recover.
Amazingly, my recovery began almost immediately. I went to my first Gamblers Anonymous meeting within a couple of weeks; my wife and I attended counselling together; I consulted with a solicitor friend to clarify my legal position; I saw a psychiatrist; and I talked to family and friends about my gambling problem. In other words, I brought out into the open the problem that had been haunting me for nearly thirty years.
The legal processes took almost three years to run their course. In that time I was able to reach some significant milestones. My wife and I rebuilt our relationship to the stage that I have the hope that our marriage will endure through the years ahead. Also, with the help of Gamblers’ Anonymous and the support of my family, I have maintained my abstinence from gambling from the first GA meeting.
The Gamblers Anonymous fellowship has provided me with tremendous support over these last few years. I attended weekly meetings and found that they provided the basis upon which I was able to remain bet free. I have often said at meetings that they provide me with my weekly “reality check”. To hear newcomers give their therapies or long term members’ talk of a slip helps to provide me with the strength to not return to those bad old days of gambling.

I am now serving a term of imprisonment for the crime that I committed. Members of my GA group visit me on a monthly basis while I am in prison and this support has been a tremendous help to me in getting through what is a very difficult time. I do not offer gambling as an excuse for what I have done but I do offer it as an explanation for the behaviour that led to the commission of the offence.
I want to make it clear that prison is not the end of my story. I am studying while in prison to obtain qualifications to commence a new career once this time is over. I have been fortunate to discover through my abstinence from gambling that there is life after gambling and that a worthwhile, peaceful, and enjoyable life lies ahead.

Leon G.22/12/00

back | top